Air-pump.



M. LEBLANC.

AIR PUMP.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 14. 1909.

INVENTOR.

Patented Sept. 19, 1916.

HAS A TORNEY IN FACT.

MAURICE LEBLANC, OF PARIS, FRANCE.

AIR-PUMP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

- Patented Sept. 19; 1916.

Application filed September 14, 1909. Serial No. 517,691.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MAURICE LEl}LANC, a citizen of the Republic ofFrance, residing at Villa Montmorency, Auteuil, Paris, France, have madea new and useful Invention in Air-Pumps, of which the 'following is aspecification.

This invention relates to air or other elastic fluid pumps.

In my Patent No. 984,278 of February 14, 1911, I have illustrated acondensing apparatus employing a condensing chamber communicating with asource of fluid to be condensed and provided with a discharge port whichcommunicates with a condenser. The apparatus of the patent also includesa liquid translating deviceillustrated as a partial injection bladedimpeller and adapted to mechanically project a stream or jet ofcondensing liquid through the chamber at a high velocity, for thepurpose of condensing the condensable vapors within the chamber and ofremoving the non-condensable gases therefrom. The bladed impellertogether with its distributing nozzle are so located and arranged thatthe liquid projected into the chamber traverses it in a sub-dividedstate and is finally collected by the converging walls of the chamberand delivered, by reason of its own velocity, through the outlet .of thechamber and the diffuser. This apparatus is broadly claimel in saidpatent. While the apparatus of this patent is efficient for the purposesof condensing apparatus. its efficiency as an air or other elastic fluidpump is not such as might be desired, since the parts are. not soproportioned that the propelled or projected liquid traversing thechamber will maintain a leaf or film formation and completely fill orbridge the portion of the chamber through which it passes.

An object of this invention is to produce a highly efficient air orother elastic fluid pump utilizing a fluid translating device employingthe principle of the one disclosed in said application.

In the drawings forming a part of this application and throughout whichsimilar parts are denoted bylike characters: Fig ure 1 is a verticalsectional view of an air pump embodying this invention; Fig. 2 is across-sectional view taken on line 22 of Fig- 1; and Fig. 3 is across-sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

The pump consists of a rotor element composed of a plate or disk 4mounted upon a shaft 5 and provided with an annular row ofaxially-extending blades or buckets 6. The blades are provided with.shrouds .7 and 8 for their opposite ends, and, shrunk into a recessprovided in the outer shrouds, is a retainer ring 9. The adjacent faces1010 of the shrouds are preferably curved as illustrated in Figs. 2 and3 so that the discharge edges 11 of the blades are materially longerthan the inlet edges 12.

This allows the water entering the spaces between the blades to spreadout on the blades into thin films. The effective length, therefore, ofthe blades is the same as the discharge edges of the blades.

A easing surrounds the rotor and is composed of an end plate 13 providedwith a stufling box 14 at its center through which the shaft 5 passes.The other portion 15 of the casing surrounds the rotor and has a portion16 which extends within the row of blades and is formed with a chamber17 provided with a water inlet 18. The wall of the chamber 17 at 19 isthickened as shown in Figs- 1 and 3 and through this thickened portionan outlet 20 for Water extends. This outlet which I will term thedistributer, is provided with a number (in Fig. 1, three) of directingvanes 21 which form nozzles or spouts.

The portion 15 of the outer casing is provided with an air inlet 22 to apassage or conduit 23 into which the blades of the rotor extend. Theconduit at the point where the blades enter the same is rectilinear incross-section and is of the same width as the effective length of theblades; that is, the same width as the length of the discharge edges 11of the blades. The con duit 23 terminates in a converging combining andcollecting chamber ortube 24. An equalizing chamber 25 is formed in theportion 15 surrounding the outlet end of the tube 24 and is placed incommunication with the wheel chamber by means of a passage 26 formed insaid portion 15.

passage 31 lies between cone 27 and the diffuser proper. The shaft 5 maybe retated at the desired speed by any suitable Axiallv in line with thecollecting tube tons.

means, such as an electric motor, a steam turbine or a reciprocatingengine.

l/Vater inlet 18 will be connected by means of piping to any suitablesource of water supply and inlet 22 by means of suitable piping will beconnected to the point from which air or other elastic fluid is to bepumped. This point may be a surface condenser, a jet condenser, abarometric condenser or, in fact, any chamber or vessel from which it isdesired to withdraw the elastic fluid contained thereto. Inlet 29 willbe connected by means of suitable valved piping with a suitable sourceof steam supply.

In operation, assuming that the motor is rotating at the proper speed,in order to rime the pump, steam is admitted through lnlet 29 and bymeans of the ejector device comprising cone 27 and chamber 30 andpassage 31, the pressure in chamber 25 will be lowered and water will beforced in through inlet 18 into chamber 17 and through the distributernozzles to the blades. The blades rotating past the distributer nozzleswill project the water into and through passage or conduit 23 toward andthrough the collecting tube 21. On account of the high speed of travelof the blades past the distributer, each blade will receive but a smallamount of water which will be flattened out against the blade andprojectcd therefrom in the form of a film. piston or leaf which willsubstantially bridge or fill the conduit as a piston fills a cylinder.As the blades move in succession past the distributer, a stream or jetformed of a succession of these leaves or pistons will move at highvelocity through the conduit or chamber 23 and toward and through thecollectin chamber like a succession of pispon issuing from thecollecting chamber, the stream formed of the leaves, films or pistonswill pass into and through the diffuser. On account of the chamber 25,which surrounds the outlet of the collect ing tube and passage 26, itwill be seen that the pressure of the fluid leaving the collecting tubewill be the same as the pressure of the fluid entering inlet 22. As theleaves or films of water projected by the blades are projected acrossthe channel or conduit 23, each leaf or film as and when it is formed,like a piston, confines between it and the preceding film a certainvolume of air or other elastic fluid within the conduit and carries saidair or other elastic fluid toward and through the collecting chamberand, therefore, toward and through the diffuser. Of course, as this airor other elastic fluid is moved toward the diffuser, other air will passin through inlet 22 to take its place.

The distributer, it will be noticed, embraces but a-few. of the totalnumber of blades on the rotor element; that is, the

therein or supplied,

rotor element is of the partial injection type or partial influx type,as distinguished from a total injection or total influx type in wlhighall of the blades at a time are supie p The number of blades on therotor element may be varied to suit difierent conditions; but I havefound that for a given speed of rotation of the rotor element, it isdesirable to have the number of blades such that they will travel pastthe distributer at the rate of about 1000 per second. As each blade inpassing the distributer entrains a small quantity of water delivered bythe distributer, each blade will project one film or leaf of wateracross the conduit 23 and as the dimensions of the conduit at the pointwhere the leaves are projected from the blades are such that the leavesor films will substantially completely fill the conduit or bridge it asa piston does a cylinder, a certain volume of air in the conduit will becut oil from the remainder of the air and moved toward the diffuser bymeans of the leaves or films.

As it is necessary that the films or leaves of water in moving throughthe conduit 23 toward and through the diffuser have a velocitysuflicient to pre 'ent the air which they entrap and carry with themfrom breaking through and escaping around the leaves or films, it isnecessary to give to the leaves or films a speed of travel of about 120feet per second, and this can be done by giving to the blades a speed oftravel of from sixty to seventy feet per second, depending upon theangle of the blades.

In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, I havedescribed the principle of operation of my invention, together with theapparatus which I now consider to represent the best embodiment thereof,but I desire to have it understood that the apparatus shown is onlyillustrative and that the invention can be carried out by other means.

Vhat I claim is:

1. In an air or other elastic fluid pump, a bladed rotor element, meansfor delivering liquid to a number of the blades thereof less than thetotal number, conduit means adapted to receive and collect the liquiddischarged by said rotor element and of such cross-sectional arearelative to said blades that the liquid discharged by said bladesbridges or fills the same as a piston does a cylinder and a diffuser inline with the outlet of said conduit means.

2. In an air 'or other elastic fluid pump, a collecting or combiningchamber, a diffuser, a rotor element provided with blades of such sizerelative to the cross-sectional area of said collecting chamber thatliquid discharged therefrom will substantially fill said collectingchamber as a piston fills a cylinder and means located within theperiphery of said rotor element for discharging liquid to a number ofthe blades thereof less than the total number.

3. In a fluid translating device, a stationary conduit, having an inletadapted to com municate with a source of fluid to be translated, anoutlet adapted to communicate with a difi'user and a laterally disposedopening formed therein at a point intermediate the inlet and outlet, arotatable liquid projector having an annular row of blades mountedthereon adapted to project liquid in the form of relatively thin leavesor sheets across and through said conduit, a distributing nozzle forsimultaneously delivering liquid to a number of said blades less thanthe total number, and a diffuser in line and communieating with saidconduit, said conduit converging toward the outlet and having a crosssectional area, adjacent to said lateral opening formed therein, suchthat the width thereof is substantially equal to the length of thedischargeedges of the blades.

4. In an air or other elastic fluid pump, a chamber provided with aninlet for fluid and an outlet, means arranged so as to project liquid ata relatively high-velocity in the form of films or leaves into saidchamber between the inlet and outlet thereof and a. starting ejectorassociated with said device.

5. In an air or other elastic fluid pump, a chamber provided with aninlet for fluid and an outlet, means employing a partial injectionrotatable liquid impeller arranged so as to project liquid at arelatively high velocity in a sub-divided state-into said chamberbetween the inlet and outlet thereof, means in line with said outlet fortransforming fluid velocity into pressure and an ejector device arrangedbetween the inlet of v said means and the outlet of said chamber.

6. In an air or other elastic fluid pump, a chamber provided with aninlet for fluid and an outlet, means employing a partial influxrotatable liquid impeller arranged so as to project liquid at arelatively high velocity in a sub-divided state into said chamberbetween the inlet and outlet thereof, means communicating with saidoutlet for transforming fluid velocity into pressure, a passage arrangedso as to maintain a pressure at the inlet of said velocity transformingmeans substantially the same as the pressure yvithin said chamber and anejector device communicating with said velocity transforming means.

7. In an air or other elastic fluid pump, a bladed rotatable impeller,stationary means for delivering liquid to a portion only of the perihery thereof and a collector for the liquid projected by said impeller;the width of the collector at the point of entrance of said liquid beingsubstantially the same as the efiective length of the impeller blades,

8. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of astationary distributing nozzle, a partial injection rotatable impellerfor discharging the liquid distributed by said nozzle, and a rectilinearchannel or conduit means across and lengthwise of which said impellerdischarges.

9. In an air or other elastic fluid pump, rotary means for forming asuccession of liquid films or pistons and for causing all of the filmsor pistons to travel as such in sub stantially the same straight line,and a conduit means, having a fluid inlet port and an outlet port,receiving said films or pistons at a point intermediate said ports andextending in substantially the direction of travel of said films orpistons and of such cross-sectional area that the films or pistonsdischarged from the rotar'y'means bridge or ,fill the same as a pistondoes a cylinder throughout a portion of the length of said conduitmeans.

10. In an air or other elastic fluid pump, rotary niians for forming asuccession of fluid films or pistons and for projecting all of saidfilms or pistons as such in substantially the same straight line, and aconduit means, having an inlet and an outlet port, converging toward itsoutlet port and receiving said films or pistons at a point intermediatesaid ports, the portion of said conduit means through which said filmsor pistons pass extending in substantially the direction of travel ofthe films or pistons, and being of such cross-sectional area that eachpiston or film fills or bridges it as a piston does a cylinder.

11. In an air or other elastic fluid pump,

rotary means for forming a succession of,

liquid films or pistons and for projecting all of saidfilms or pistonsas such in substantially the same straight line, a conduit means, havingan inlet and an outlet port, converging toward its outlet port andreceiving said films or pistons at a point intermediate said ports, theportion of said conduit means through which said films or pistons passextending in substantially the direction of travel of the films orpistons, and being of such cross-sectional area that each piston or filmfills or bridges it as a piston does a cylinder, and a divergentdiffuser communicating with the outlet port of said conduit means.

12. In an air or other elastic fluid pump, a bladed impeller, means fordelivering liquid to a number of the blades less than the total numberthereof, a collecting and combining chamber, having an inlet port. forfluid to be pumped and an outlet port, said chamber receiving the liquiddischarged from said impeller at a point intermediate said ports andextending, from the point of admission of the liquid to the outletport,.in'substantia ly the direction of travel of the liquid partialadmission,

discharged from the impeller, and being of such cross-sectional arearelatively to the length of'the blades of the impeller that the liquiddischarged from the blades bridges or fills the same as a piston does" acylinder, and a diffuser in line with the outlet port of said conduitmeans.

13. In an air or other elastic fluid pump, a

rotatable, bladed impeller for forming-Ma succession of liquid films orpistons and for causing all of the films or pistons to travel as such insubstantially the same straight line, a collecting and combining chamberhaving v outlet port and converging toward the outlet port, said chamberreceiving liquid from the impeller at a point intermediate said Copiesof this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Icross-sectional area,

an inlet and an from the point of adto the outlet port, in the directionof travel of the or pistons, and being of such relatively to the lengthof the blades of the impeller, that the films or pistons completely fillor bridge the same as a' piston does a cylinder, and a diifusercommunicating with said chamber.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 30th dayof August, 1909.

ports and extending, mission of the liquid substantially liquid filmsMAURICE LEBLANC.

Witnesses:

ETIENNE SOULli, I PIERRE LEBLANC.

"Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0.

